Annie B Spain in the Press

I am very proud that my cooking holidays and gourmet tours in Spain have attracted so much positive press

THE TIMES – Foodie Holidays; Tour the tapas bars and the tastes of Cadiz

Journalist Paul Richardson joins me on my Ultimate Gourmet Tour of Cadiz and writes about it in this Times feature. October 2018

THE OBSERVER – Recipes for Adventure; 10 of the best cooking holidays worldwide

I’m thrilled that my Menorca food and wine tour was included in the Guardian/Observer’s feature on global cooking holidays!

THE SUNDAY TIMES – Three ways to do a food tour; Menorca with Annie B

The Sunday Times Travel magazine features my “Menorca – a Unique Food & Wine Adventure” in the August 2018 issue.

Cadiz with Annie B Spain, a Delicious Destination for 2018

Good Housekeeping , April 2018 – thank you for including my Ultimate Culinary Tour of Cadiz as a Delicious Destination for 2018

Top 50 Holidays in Spain 2018, The Times, January 2018

Delighted my Ultimate Culinary Tour of Cadiz was included by the Times in their top holidays in Spain for 2018

Short Breaks to Extend Summer, Jamie Magazine, September 2017

Such an honour to be name-checked as a ‘must-do’ in Jamie Oliver’s magazine, while he sings the virtues of Vejer as a sun and Sherry-soaked summer sojourn.

Top 10 Bake Off Breaks, The Sunday Mirror, October 2016

Excited to be included by the Sunday Mirror’s Top 10 Bake Off Breaks, especially as one of the 12 in the tent, Louise Williams, came on a course here in September 2015. So for the first time ever I’d actually been watching it! 2016 will be my Bake Off year for sure.

The Independent, May 2010

Grupo Califa, April 2010

Foodepedia, January 2010

Tuck in to Europe’s tastiest weekends

The Sunday Times, June 2012
Spain: Vejer de la Frontera

By rights, the cobbled alleys of Vejer de la Frontera should be empty, the corpulent inhabitants unable to leave their beds without the aid of a crane. Yet here they are, the young ones svelte and stylish, the oldies twinkly of eye and sprightly of foot, all thronging the restaurants and tapas bars of the most food-obsessed little town in Andalusia.

Vejer (say it ba-hair, clearing your throat on the h) is a whitewashed Moorish village perched on a crest five miles from the Atlantic. In the past decade, it has accumulated an unlikely concentration of spectacularly good eating places, with an influx of innovators doing extraordinary things.

Go trad for breakfast, though, at Morillo (Calle Nuestra Señora de la Oliva 4), an unreconstructed working- men’s caff. Order a tostada (80p) — a slice of toast supplied with olive oil and fresh puréed tomato — and cortado coffee, or make like the locals and knock back an aguardiente. They’ll tell you spirits in the morning are needed for good digestion. They believe it, too.

If you’re here to learn to cook Vejer-style, you’ll now head off for your one-day course with Annie B (£95, or stay for four nights from £550, B&B, including three classes and one dinner; 00 34-620 560649, anniebspain.com). For the rest of us, some shopping.

For lunch, head to the seaside. El Palmar is a laid-back resort strung out along a vast golden beach, dotted with restaurants and bars. It’s hard to have a bad meal, but the ortigas fritas, or deep-fried sea anemones, at Francisco Alferez, on the beach road (956 232861; £4 for a filling half-plate) stand out. Crunch in and savour the explosion of seasidey goo.

Back for a siesta. You’ll need it: Vejer’s dozens of tapas bars and restaurants await. The best, after extensive research, is the tiny but ground-breaking Los Quatro Gatos (650 987686, losquatrogatos.com), where the young French chef Solfée Zeller dazzles for bafflingly low prices. Her chipito (“small glass”) of cod brandade with potato mousse, orange vine pearls and orange salt changed my culinary life — for £2.50.

For the rest, I’d recommend the tuna tartare with miso salad, mango, ice cream and wasabi (£14) at the posh La Vera Cruz (956 451683, restaurantelaveracruz.es), all slippery texture and sparkling flavours; the Moroccan-with-a-twist in a romantic town garden at El Jardin del Califa (956 447730, jardin.lacasadelcalifa.com; mains from £11); and the old-school La Bodeguita (Calle Marques de Tamaron; 956 451582), as much for the live music and matey vibe as the succulent pork cheek on couscous, which costs £2.

With everything, drink sherry. The varieties are complex, and Vejeriegas will bang on about them all evening. The finos are good, the olorosos better, the creams vile — this is all you need to know.

People Love Annie B.

Here’s what they have said

Thanks for the great recipes, and sherry education - not something I would have ever drunk before coming to Vejer, yet now my poor house guests have had sherry, sherry cake and a lecture from me about the making of sherry!

Lindsay

LindsayEdinburghAugust 26, 2016

The four day course fulfilled everything we had hoped for, and because of the relaxed and generous way it was delivered, we are agreed that you pleasantly exceeded our expectations.

John & JaneDevon, UKJune 9, 2017

Thank you for a wonderful day of cooking in your beautiful home! Great food, great sherry, great company! We loved Vejer!

Suzanne Leonardson Hall New Jersey, USAMarch 23, 2018

We enjoyed our cooking course with Annie B., it offerd much more than we could imagine.

Helena

HelenaHelsinkiApril 2015June 12, 2015

Annie is an excellent teacher and the location in Andalucia is second to none.

It’s breathtakingly beautiful. Your first glimpse of the town is as a blinding flash of white on a hilltop against the bluest of blue skies. Up close it’s just as easy on the eye, too – a labyrinth of narrow, cobbled streets winding its way between quiet squares, churches and handsome historical buildings, it’s a photographer’s dream.

https://www.anniebspain.com/wp-content/uploads/mojito-jerezano.jpg376536Anne Mansonhttps://www.anniebspain.com/wp-content/uploads/anniebspain_logo.pngAnne Manson2018-10-21 14:46:412018-11-30 18:21:48Five of the Best Sherry Cocktails for Christmas

Annie in the press

Annie B's Food Holidays in the Press

People Love Annie B

So much more than cooking...Annie has a knack of making you feel as if you have known her for ages and the day was fun and informative. Eating the fruits of our labour up on the fabulous terrace with my fellow students was lovely and my daughter who was visiting me at the time was Continue Reading

miloleicestershireleicestershireJanuary 8, 2015

Just one day at Annie B’s Spanish Kitchen makes you feel like you’re at a good friend’s kitchen.

pollockceAyase, JapanJanuary 8, 2015

From the first contact Annie was so friendly and helpful – and patient with all my questions as I tried to work out how to get to Vejer from Seville by public transport!

tui52Auckland, NZJanuary 8, 2015

We enjoyed our cooking course with Annie B., it offerd much more than we could imagine. Helena

HelenaHelsinkiApril 2015June 12, 2015

Your course was a big help in bringing some great food back to our home dinner table as well as opening my eyes to more of the Sherry opportunities.

Mark & DeeSydney, AustraliaJuly 8, 2016

Thanks for the great recipes, and sherry education - not something I would have ever drunk before coming to Vejer, yet now my poor house guests have had sherry, sherry cake and a lecture from me about the making of sherry! Lindsay

LindsayEdinburghAugust 26, 2016

If you love food, culture and a splash of wine with a passionate person who understands the special ingredients of Andalucia then you could not spend a better day in this beautiful hilltop village.

October 27, 2016

Annie B’s tour was a perfect blend of food and drink for our group of wine-obsessed Americans/American Sommeliers. Annie is passionate and hilarious, she planned an action packed few days for us focussing on Spanish wine and Sherry, which we wanted to explore, and also the gourmet delights of Cadiz that she is so knowledgeable Continue Reading

Thank you once again, we truly had the most wonderful experience with you in Vejer. Our expectations were high coming to your classes and unbelievably were far surpassed! I am looking forward to trying your wonderful recipes at home.

Thank you so much for the memorable time we had with you and providing a window into your world. We have loved this opportunity and look forward to sharing these new ways of doing things in the kitchen with family and friends. We also have new friends in Clare and Jen and hope that one Continue Reading

Peter & MaryanneAustraliaApril 29, 2017

Almadraba – What an Experience!

I have just returned from the most fabulous four days on Annie's Almadraba tour. What a wonderful experience! Beautifully organised and super friendly with many homely touches but a fierce professionalism in the background so that everything runs like clockwork. The cooking course was terrific, the tapas tours memorable, the sherry tasting interesting and educational Continue Reading

Julia Thum Bray, UKMay 25, 2017

Everything we had hoped for…

The four day course fulfilled everything we had hoped for, and because of the relaxed and generous way it was delivered, we are agreed that you pleasantly exceeded our expectations.

John & JaneDevon, UKJune 9, 2017

Great Fun for Foodies!

We spent a fabulous week with Anne exploring the food and drink of Andalusian Spain. We based ourselves in the beautiful hilltop town of Vejer de la Frontera, Anne's home. Cooking classes at her hilltop home, degustaciones of fresh tuna on the coast, Sherry tastings at bodegas, Arabic food luncheons, Tapa's tours and fabulous meals Continue Reading

Stephen Puerto RicoSeptember 29, 2017

Fabulous food and such fun

Annie makes cooking and eating delicious food a course requirement. We explored the beautiful town of Vejer, tasted sherry in atmospheric bodegas and sampled fabulous tapas. It was all well organized and felt like an ongoing party instead of a course. If the opportunity to attend one of her classes presents itself jump at it!

Diane BerkNY, USAOctober 30, 2017

Bespoke Culinary Adventure was terrific

I love my friends and we all love food, so seven of us arranged 5 days with Annie (one came specially from the US). She is such a warm and easy person she was part of the gang at once and we followed her around like greedy ducklings while, with huge knowledge and authority, she Continue Reading

Verity, LondonFebruary 28, 2018

Thank you :)

Thank you for a wonderful day of cooking in your beautiful home! Great food, great sherry, great company! We loved Vejer!

Suzanne Leonardson Hall New Jersey, USAMarch 23, 2018

We had a fantastic day in Tangiers, arranged by Annie B

Our guide was Abdul, such an amazing man, and so knowledgeable. He seemed to be the "grandfather" of the guides. He also seemed to know all the right people in Tangier. I don't know if all the tours are like that, but we were impressed! I can´t believe how much we packed into the day. Continue Reading

Marianne C & familyVancover B.C.April 2, 2018

When can we return?

Your passion and generosity from our first email exchange, truly was such a gift to our journey. You significantly helped 'sketch' our itinerary, a trip to be remembered. I still am suffering from Spanish fever and cannot wait to return. And Erizo, never again will a bite be taken without an immediate flashback to the Continue Reading

Mike & Heather BSeattle, USAMay 15, 2018

Day Trip to Tangiers

Thank you very much for organising our trip to Tangiers. All a great success and Aziz was charming and lunch was out of this world! We needed a bit more time in the souk, but can always go back another time!

Family DiamondJune 2017June 17, 2018

Just delicious!

Thank you for such a lovely experience. Both my mother and I had a great time. Your kitchen and home is warm and inviting, and your rooftop terrace devine! All of the food was delicious, and we can't wait to try and reproduce some of the recipes.